Aldea (restaurant)

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Aldea
Aldea Kitchen.jpg
Kitchen at Aldea as viewed from the dining room
Aldea (restaurant)
Restaurant information
EstablishedApril 2009 (2009-04)
ClosedFebruary 22, 2020 (2020-02-22)
Food type Portuguese
Street address31 West 17th Street
CityNew York City
StateNew York
Postal/ZIP Code10011
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 40°44′19.5″N73°59′37.8″W / 40.738750°N 73.993833°W / 40.738750; -73.993833

Aldea was a restaurant in the Flatiron District of Manhattan in New York City. [1] The fine dining establishment opened in 2009 and closed in 2020.

Contents

Description

The restaurant occupied two stories and had an open kitchen [2] so that diners could observe the preparation of food. [3] It was decorated in a minimalist style with birch trees in its interior. [4] Adam Platt of New York described the interior in 2009 as a "double-height, blond-wood-paneled space is set with chairs covered in plush white and blue leather, and a façade of white-striped glass filters the view of the outside world. The room is luminously lit and partitioned with sheets of more glass, which make it feel intimate and also worldly". [3]

The restaurant served an eight-course tasting menu and a small à la carte menu. [5] It was noted for combining elaborately presented dishes with more rustic, filling dishes. [2] [4] The restaurant's arroz de pato was often singled out as one of its best dishes. [6] [3] Mendes told Michelin Guide in 2019 that he was "a proponent of flavor versus appearance". [7]

History

Aldea opened in April 2009. [3] The restaurant's head chef, George Mendes, is of Portuguese heritage, and the cuisine of Portugal heavily inspired the menu. [2] Its name translates to "village" in Portuguese. [3] It received a Michelin star in 2010, which it received every year following its operation. [8]

Aldea closed after February 22, 2020, as Mendes planned to "take a break" [9] and noted the difficulty in operating a restaurant in New York City at the time. [8]

See also

References

  1. Kludt, Amanda (July 8, 2009). "Week in Reviews: Aldea Gets a Deuce". Eater NY. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Bruni, Frank (July 8, 2009). "A Trip Afar, With Trusted Friends". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Platt, Adam (May 28, 2009). "Aldea and Apiary -- New York Magazine Restaurant Review - Nymag". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Aldea". Time Out New York. March 15, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  5. Elbert, Lisa (October 5, 2017). "Aldea". Thrillist. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  6. "Aldea". NBC New York. April 9, 2010. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  7. "George Mendes Reflects On a Decade of Aldea". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Repanich, Jeremy (February 11, 2020). "NYC's Michelin-Starred Aldea Is Closing After More Than a Decade". Robb Report. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  9. Dai, Serena (February 10, 2020). "Michelin-Starred Aldea Is Closing After More Than 10 Years". Eater NY. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.